A Call to Personal Responsibility... From A Democrat
| It is taken as an article of faith among Democrats, Independents, and some Republicans that Ronald Reagan could not win the GOP nomination these days. People point to his willingness to raise taxes, grant amnesty to illegal immigrants, and dare I say it, compromise with the Dems on a host of issues to get things done. I would agree. I see no way any serious Republican candidate could reasonably expect to win the necessary primaries with a record such as the one Reagan held both as Governor of California and as President. But lest the Democrats get smug, let's turn the tables a little. Last night I watched an excellent special from ABC News. It was about the here to fore unheard tapes of Former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, wife of President John Kennedy. Diane Sawyer did an excellent job of taking us back to that time and giving real insight into the couple and their family. Full disclosure time... while I was a young kid back then, I have always held the Kennedy's in high regard. While flawed, few American families have a record of public service that can match that of the Kennedy's. That being said, here is what got my attention. During a segment on the inauguration, we once again heard the line for which perhaps JFK is most famous... "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." That one line, at the end of this great speech is a clarion call to personal responsibility. Certainly President Kennedy did not believe, as the current crop of GOP contenders does, that government has no place in the lives of Americans. But this President, even though he was a strong advocate of Keynesian economics, and a fighter for universal health care, also believed government should not be your first option. I do not believe a Democrat would be elected, or supported by a majority of voters in his or her party with a view of personal responsibility like that of John Kennedy. Our system has changed and if the Dems demand that the GOP recognize how far they have shifted from the ideals of Ronald Reagan, it is only fair that the Dems also realize how far they have shifted from the ideals of JFK. Are we better for it? Time will tell. Labels: ABC News, Democrats, Diane Sawyer, GOP, Jacqueline Kennedy, JFK, John Kennedy, Ronald Reagan |
posted by Dave Miller at 8:41 AM
Comments on "A Call to Personal Responsibility... From A Democrat"
-
Doug said ... (3:57 AM) :
-
dmarks said ... (5:31 AM) :
-
Dave Miller said ... (7:07 AM) :
-
BB-Idaho said ... (8:15 AM) :
-
Dave Miller said ... (8:36 AM) :
-
dmarks said ... (11:58 AM) :
-
Dave Miller said ... (12:46 PM) :
-
dmarks said ... (6:02 PM) :
-
Dave Miller said ... (9:29 AM) :
-
dmarks said ... (11:32 AM) :
-
dmarks said ... (3:36 PM) :
post a commentGood Post.
BTW
There was a cartoon not long ago that illustrated your very same topic.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/tom-toles-on-the-budget-battle/2011/03/15/AB6u9ZX_gallery.html#photo=38
"Certainly President Kennedy did not believe, as the current crop of GOP contenders does, that government has no place in the lives of Americans"
None of the current Republican candidates espouses this view.
They want the ruling class to control our lives a little less than the Democrats do, but they don't want it gone entirely.
dmarks, i've yet to hear any GOP candidate make a defense for any government except to pay for defense.
Save for Romney who is going to lose.
As "inconsequential as possible?" I believe those are Mr. Perry's words.
It sounds like he does want it gone entirely...
...If by a "Liberal" they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people — their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, and their civil liberties — someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicions that grip us in our policies abroad, if that is what they mean by a "Liberal," then I'm proud to say I'm a "Liberal."
...John Kennedy, 1960
He spoke at our college when I was
a sophomore and in the context of
those times he was a spellbinding
speaker. I stood in line to shake
his hand. Would he get elected today? Would Ike? Lincoln? We can
blame politics, but it is the electorate which is fickle.
BB... another take on liberal, which of course I am...
http://thepoliticalcarnival.net/2010/09/25/west-wing-video-jimmy-smits-defines-liberal/
Dave said: "dmarks, i've yet to hear any GOP candidate make a defense for any government except to pay for defense."
Well, where do we begin? Rick Perry's most recent budget proposal for Texas includes $68 billion for education. Most of the rest is social service related, with only a small proportion anything close to "defense" (the public safety part of the budget)
Sarah Palin as Governor increased special education funding a lot.
Saying Republicans are for no government is a gross generalization as bad as when the Republicans say that the Dems want the government to control anything. You can do better than that, and usually do.
Dmarks... Read what i wrote... I've yet to hear...
Look, after the GOP "debate" I've had about had it with the people driving their primary system.
Not one GOP candidate could step up and say, after people said YES to the question from Wolf, you know what, this issue is tough and maybe I do not have all the answers, but to advocate for someone to die, as some of you have done is WRONG!
Why could not one of the GOP candidates say that?
Tell me? Because to challenge the narrative that the Tea Party people have will END THEIR CAMPAIGN, that's why.
SO what that Sarah Palin advocated for more help for special needs kids in Alaska. It was in her own personal self interest and she has attacked government spending every chance she gets.
Give me some examples where the GOP has verbally challenged the narrative that they HATE government spending.
I am sure the non support is not monolithic, but the rhetoric sure seems to be, and that is what I am responding to.
And yes, I now the DEMS are just as bad on the other side, never having met a program worthy of being eliminated.
I am just fed up today... probably the crappy coffee at the office...
"Dmarks... Read what i wrote... I've yet to hear..."
Have you even done the simplest research? Every Republican candidate I have checked so far advocates massive Federal spending. I just read on Michelle Bachmann's campaign web site where she advocates a Medicare plan that would give seniors large yearly vouchers: federally funded.
There, the most well known/biggest of the GOP candidates all advocating massive Federal spending on matters other than defense. Sorry, your "I have yet to hear" is nothing more than an admission that you've not checked into it at all.
"Give me some examples where the GOP has verbally challenged the narrative that they HATE government spending."
That's kind of a straw man. Where did this narrative come from? All I hear are proposals to reduce excessive spending, while still leaving Federal spending at massively high levels.
What is the Wolf question?
Dmarks... the wolf question came up in the GOP debate. It was about health care and whether we should let people die if they had no insurance.
Regardless of ones views on paying for it, when some audience members shouted Yes!, not one candidate stepped up and said we should not have to ask these questions.
Not one candidate stepped up to say... "You know what, this is tough issue and i do not have all the answers, but it is wrong for Americans to cheer for the death of another."
Why was t that not one candidate for President from the GOP stepped forward and told the Tea Party that sponsored this debate that this type of response, saying let 'em die, is unAmerican?
Why is President Obama UnAmerican for wanteing to provide health care to all Americans, but wanting fellow Americans to die for lack of it, not unAmerican?
Can you, or anyone on the right answer that?
I've posted before that I believe everyone, the GOP and the Tea Party included, love government.
And yes, I know there are GOP governors who allocate mucho dinero for government spending...
But that does not preclude the current crop of GOP Presidential candidates from demonizing almost all federal spending with the exception of defense.
The post was about how Dems could not elect kennedy in this day and age. I stick by that. The Dems have become to beholden to spending and the GOP to bashing government.
"Why is President Obama UnAmerican for wanteing to provide health care to all Americans, but wanting fellow Americans to die for lack of it, not unAmerican?"
He actually wants that? You would not know from his actions. Already, companies are being forced to drop coverage of employees as a direct result of his plan, with as many as 30% expected to do so in the near future.
As for "But that does not preclude the current crop of GOP Presidential candidates from demonizing almost all federal spending with the exception of defense."
Quote me one who is. One who would eliminate all federal spending with the exception of defense.
(I'll grant you Ron Paul, he might have said that. But he is a joke candidate riding a fluke of apparently popularity in polls now... and when all is said and done, he will sink back to the 1% or 2% whose interests he campaigns for).